I got hacked mid-air while writing an Apple-FBI story

Steven Petrow, the journalist who had his computer hacked while on a flight, recounts his experience and what he learned. Video by Ryan Connelly Holmes for USA TODAY

“I don’t really need to worry about online privacy,” I used to think. “I’ve got nothing to hide. And who would want to know what I’m up to, anyway?”

Sure, I’m a journalist, but I’m not an investigative reporter, not a political radical, not of much interest to anyone, really.

That was last week, when the standoff between the FBI and Apple seemed much more about principle than practice to me. That’s when I thought I’d write a column on whether this legal fight matters to regular folk — people like my mother, a retired social worker; my best friend, who works in retail; or even my 20-year-old niece in college. That was before I found out — in a chillingly personal way — just why it does matter. To all of us.

Just before midnight last Friday, my plane touched down in Raleigh after a three-hour flight from Dallas. As usual, I’d spent much of the flight working, using American Airlines Gogo in-flight Internet connection to send and answer emails. As I was putting on my jacket, a fellow in the row behind me, someone I hadn’t even noticed before, said: “I need to talk to you.” A bit taken aback, I replied, “It’s late … need to get home.”

“You’re a reporter, right?”

“Um, yes.”

“Wait for me at the gate.”

[I didn’t answer, but I did wait.]

“How did you know I was a reporter?” I asked while we started walking.

“Are you interested in the Apple/FBI story?” he responded, ignoring my question.

“Kind of. Why are you asking me that?” I thought he was some kind of creepy mind reader.

Then he dropped the bombshell.

“I hacked your email on the plane and read everything you sent and received. I did it to most people on the flight.” He had verbatim detail of a long email that he repeated back to me essentially word for word.

In fact, as Steve Nolan, Gogo’s vice president of communications, told me, the service is “public” and “operates in the same ways as most open Wi-Fi hotspots on the ground.” He cautioned against “accessing sensitive materials while in flight.”

Gogo recommends that anyone sending sensitive information over any public WiFi network, including Gogo, use a virtual private network, or VPN, to protect their data, said CEO Michael Small.

One of my emails was pretty explicit about the focus of my story and I had emailed Bruce Schneier, a security expert who had previously written in the Washington Post about this very issue.

“The current case is about a single iPhone 5c, but the precedent it sets will apply to all smartphones, computers, cars and everything the Internet of Things promises,” Schneier wrote.

The danger is that the court’s demands will pave the way to the FBI forcing Apple and others to reduce the security levels of their smart phones and computers, as well as the security of cars, medical devices, homes, and everything else that will soon be computerized. The FBI may be targeting the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter, but its actions imperil us all.”

That’s what my privacy-busting stranger had read. Back to my conversation:

“That’s how I know you’re interested in the Apple story,” he continued. “Imagine if you had been doing a financial transaction. What if you were making a date to see a whore?” My mind raced: What about my health records? My legal documents? My Facebook messages?

And then the kicker:

“That’s why this story is so important to everyone,” he told me. “It’s about everyone’s privacy.”

Then he headed down the escalator and I headed out the front door. I may have been wearing my jacket, but I felt as exposed as if I’d been stark naked.

With a newfound personal interest in the topic, the following day I called Alex Abdo, an attorney in the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, to talk about why ordinary Americans should care about the Apple case. At first he told me some of what I knew. If the government wins it would set a “dangerous legal precedent … that would force companies to build back doors into their products. It will be used hundreds and hundreds of times if it becomes lawful.”

Abdo made it clear why this matters to ordinary consumers like me — to all of us. “The risk is that it makes it more likely that individuals’ devices with no connection to any investigation will become less secure because companies will have established back doors …. that will fall into the wrong hands.” For emphasis, he added: “No back door is secure.”

But really, I pushed him, who is in actual danger here? The answer, apparently, is pretty much all of us. “Anyone who relies on the security of their devices,” he told me.

It should be up to each of us to decide what to make public, and what to keep private, he continued. For me, I felt as though the stranger on the plane had robbed me of my privacy—as was explicitly his intent. He took the decision of what to share out of my hands. He went in through the back door of the Gogo connection.

USA TODAY columnist Steven Petrow offers advice about living in the Digital Age. Submit your question to Steven at stevenpetrow. You can also follow Steven on Twitter: @StevenPetrow. Or like him on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow.

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Like this:

How the pantorouter works

The “Pantorouter” is a template guided router for cutting shapes in wood. The template is mounted on the frame above the router. A ball bearing on the pantograph mechanism is used to follow the template.

For those not familiar with pantographs, the lattice pictured at left should help explain. The six pieces of wood are connected with pins at the corners. The four areas inside this lattice each form a rhombus of equal dimensions.

Like this:

HRC

Too bad the first one is a woman; Literally thrown out of the Nixon hearings, Partner in the Rose Law Firm, initiated Travel Gate by generating FBI attacks on an innocent family; making $1,000 (that’s a thousand dollar amount for those of you in MPLS, MN) kickback into $100,000 with a ‘brokered’ phone call; Bimbo Eruptions (google to see millions on links verifying the usage of this word), too many to mention here; Cradle to Grave Health Care; Benghazi Libya; Mysterious Video (Benghazi ruse in 2012, 2013, 2014, now not mentioned by a willing press corp); Outraged at Hearing (Methinks, she doth protest – too much!); 36 month drip drip drip of emails; Congressional hearing; FBI investigation; State Department investigation; House Hearing; Still waiting on email shoe to fall; No major accomplishments as Senator and Secretary of State; Middle East in absolute chaos as a direct result of her leadership; She hand-picked John Kerry as the worst possible Secretary of State, Ref: Iran Deal; Purse string control of Clinton Foundation; Billion dollar speaking fees, her and Bill; State Dept graft FBI probe; Sold 50% of US Uranium reserve to Russia; Spoke bad things of Bernie Sanders a Socialist; Does NOT like the 2nd Amendment, 1st Amendment, nor fond of the other eight.

Arnold, Benedict

Once the hero of 11 battles in the Revolutionary War. Promoted to Major General and Military Governor at Philadelphia. Later he betrayed George Washington and the Continental Army at West Point, NY.

His deeds proved fatal to British Major, John Andre, (caught using the name John Anderson, possessing the smuggled plans, in route to the British).

Arnold was ‘a man without a country’ as a result of his actions and aspirations.

The Whistle

by Benjamin Franklin To Madame Brillon

Timely advice for a certain party that religiously reads this blog.

– Editors Note.

I received my dear friend’s two letters, one for Wednesday and one for Saturday. This is again Wednesday. I do not deserve one for to-day, because I have not answered the former. But, indolent as I am, and averse to writing, the fear of having no more of your pleasing epistles, if I do not contribute to the correspondence, obliges me to take up my pen; and as Mr. B. has kindly sent me word that he sets out to-morrow to see you, instead of spending this Wednesday evening, as I have done its namesakes, in your delightful company, I sit down to spend it in thinking of you, in writing to you, and in reading over and over again your letters.

I too am very fond of getting away here at the International World HQ’s and snuggling down in an easy chair, preparing to read a good book, short story or Greek tragedy. Thank you, Mrs. Jeanne Fischer!

– Editors Note.

I am charmed with your description of Paradise, and with your plan of living there; and I approve much of your conclusion, that, in the meantime, we should draw all the good we can from this world. In my opinion we might all draw more good from it than we do, and suffer less evil, if we would take care not to give too much for whistles. For to me it seems that most of the unhappy people we meet with are become so by neglect of that caution.

You ask what I mean? You love stories, and will excuse my telling one of myself.

It would be very difficult for me to be an editor. I too love stories. All kinds of formats, subjects and morals.

– Editors Note.

When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with halfpence. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one.

I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family.

This last paragraph is the one most modified from the original text, before the 1900’s, This letter once said, “…pocket full of coppers…”. above. Since all changes since the 1900’s point to Woodrow Wilson supporters apparently changing the 18th century units of measure, trying to make Richard Saunders’, (Ben Franklin’s secret identity) “A penny saved is two pence dear.” into the modern progressive gibberish, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

– Editor’s Note

My brothers, and sisters, and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and laughed at me so much for my folly, that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure.

This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Don’t give too much for the whistle; and I saved my money.

As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whistle.

When I saw one too ambitious of court favor, sacrificing his time in attendance on levees, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to attain it, I have said to myself, this man gives too much for his whistle.

When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect, “He pays, indeed,” said I, “too much for his whistle.”

If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth, “Poor man,” said I, “you pay too much for your whistle.”

When I met with a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations, and ruining his health in their pursuit, “Mistaken man,” said I, “you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you give too much for your whistle.”

If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, “Alas!” say I, “he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle.”

When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute of a husband, “What a pity,” say I, “that she should pay so much for a whistle!”

In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles. Yet I ought to have charity for these unhappy people, when I consider that, with all this wisdom of which I am boasting, there are certain things in the world so tempting, for example, the apples of King John, which happily are not to be bought; for if they were put to sale by auction, I might very easily be led to ruin myself in the purchase, and find that I had once more given too much for the whistle.

The apples of King John (perhaps St. John) were harvested in May (St. John’s birthday) and kept in special wraps to produce a very special treat, consumed and enjoyed, after a period of two years.

A time when ambassador’s, like Ben Franklin, were selected from the ‘best and the the brightest’ or as John Adam’s once described, “…as laudable…”. Not like uhh, like uhh, like uhh, the selection made by Obama. (Caroline Kennedy)!